October 22, 2025. On Wednesday afternoon three Ithacans were arrested after waiting all day to speak to a staff person at the Binghamton, NY office of Congressional Representative Josh Riley. There were many attempts since May asking Riley’s staff for a meeting, including on Zoom, gone unanswered. Eleven people, including members of the Downtown Berrigan Collective of Ithaca, NY, Veterans for Peace, Broome County Peace Action, the Ithaca Catholic Workers and graduate students came with a list of demands for Congressman Riley. The list was regarding his support of the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel. The Collective members came to warn the Representative that his support for arming Israel runs afoul of domestic and international law.
Photos + Watch the 1st part of Wednesday’s witness before the afternoon arrests here:
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https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1ZtLHbt3fj/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DTkmJbbmW/?mibextid=wwXIfr
After a profound compilation of individual and group sharings about the horror of the genocide in Gaza and the US funding of that genocide, the three were arrested by Binghamton police and charged with trespassing. Bill Carini, Tom Joyce, and Dan Burgevin decided to stay until Representative Riley met the demands mentioned below. The three remained in the atrium outside Riley’s office encircled with signs saying “Stop Funding Genocide” and baby shrouds representing the unabashed killing of 680,000* by bombing, shooting, and starvation perpetrated by Israeli forces on the people of Gaza since October, 2023. Told by the building manager that there is no protest allowed in the building, the three chose to stay and risk being forced to leave.
See a photo & TV Channel 12 News article & 2 more channels here:
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https://www.wbng.com/2025/10/22/protestors-gather-outside-congressman-josh-rileys-binghamton-office/
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Arrest Video, Channel WNBF: https://wnbf.com/protesters-arrested-congressman-riley-binghamton/
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Interview with Sriram Parasurama at Riley’s office: https://www.wicz.com/news/protesters-gather-outside-congressman-josh-riley-s-office-over-support-for-israel/video_b550daa9-08c5-574c-86f9-8875449a5238.html
The Collective members stressed that they are nonviolent activists committed to peaceful conduct and respectful of office staff and passers-by. They are participating in a global effort to nonviolently force Israel to end the occupation and besiegement of Palestinian land.
Collective member Bill Carini stated: “The United States government has been complicit in the crime-of-crimes, genocide, for over two years. This violates US law, in particular the Genocide Convention Implementation Act of 1987. Gaza remains under a brutal state of siege, without adequate means of sustenance and medical care. Israel has violated the ceasefire at least 47 times since Oct.10th, killing 128 and wounding more than 230 Palestinians. In the West Bank, ethnic cleansing continues, with 60,000 Palestinians displaced from their homes. Eighty percent of all arms shipments to Israel come from the US in addition to $33 Billion in aid given since 2023, making Israel’s genocide possible. We are very concerned that National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has said, ’the hostages, thankfully, have returned, which was our key demand…And now we need to go back to war'.
“The US government and our representatives, including Josh Riley, are complicit in genocide when they vote to supply weapons to Israel, in a blatant violation of the U.S. War Crimes Act, the Leahy law, The Foreign Assistance Act, Arms Export Control Act, and The Genocide Convention Implementation Act.”
Carini continued, “We note that Representative Riley has taken at least $36,645 in donations from the pro-Israel lobby.”
The list of demands includes that Representative Riley advocate and legislate to:
- Ban the delivery of US weapons to Israel as required under 5 different US laws
- Insist that Israel pay appropriate reparations to Palestine and come fully into compliance with international law
- Send aid to Palestine for the rebuilding of Gaza and the torn-up parts by the Israeli Forces of the West Bank, which will cost at least $33 billion over 2 years.
- Join the International Criminal Court and give full support to prosecuting Israelis who have committed crimes against international law
- Stop using the UN veto to protect Israel, demand that Israel comply with ALL relevant UN resolutions.
According to Special Rapporteur for Palestine, Francesca Albanese, the latest comprehensive estimate of those brutally killed is 680,000, half of whom are children under 5 years old.
Contact: Mary Anne Grady Flores
607-280-8797 gradyflores08@gmail.com